Botswana receives "Most Peaceful Award"

  1. Posted on Wednesday 4 November 2009 - 14:33
    baatweng
    Image of baatweng
    Victor Baatweng and Pascal Keletso Raditsebe, AfricaNews reporters in Gaborone, Botswana Photo: Moon rise in Botswana. Credit: Marten Schoonman
    Botswana has been adjudged the "Most Peaceful Nation" in Africa at the Global Symposium of Peaceful Nations in Washington DC, USA. Only Botswana and Malawi made it from Sub-Saharan Africa ranking Botswana at the 34th position with 1.643 points while Malawi placed 47th making it the second in Africa.
    Marten_Moonrise at Chobe NP Botswana.JPG
    A statement from the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said: “Batswana should be proud and celebrate this award as it is a tribute to them as a nation.”

    It added: “The Ministry wishes to underline the commitment and determination of the Government of Botswana to take the country to another level of development through economic diversification, employment creation and poverty eradication. It is only under conditions of peace and stability that Botswana can continue to make economic and social progress.”

    Botswana was followed by the United Kingdom at 35th position with 1.647. Malawi made it to the 47th with 1.711 points. The least four peaceful countries in the world are Israel, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, in that order.

    This is the third edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI). It has been expanded from 140 to 144 Independent States and updated with the latest available figures and information for 2007-2008. The index is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from respected sources which combine internal and external factors ranging from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights.

    The Symposium was organized by the Alliance for Peace-Building (AFP) in conjunction with the William & Harriet Fulbright Centre both of whom are US Non Governmental Organizations.

    The GPI website said the results for 2009 suggest that the world has become slightly less peaceful in the past year.

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